The Cornbread Trick That Makes the Edges Worth Fighting Over

Buy a medium-grind yellow cornmeal, not the suspiciously fine stuff that turns into paste, and use a cast-iron skillet if you have one. This is one of the jobs cast iron was born for. It holds heat like a grudge and gives cornbread the kind of browned edge people quietly pick off before dinner.

Heat the oven to 425 degrees and put a 10-inch cast-iron skillet inside. Yes, empty. Let it heat for at least 15 minutes while you make the batter.

Whisk together 1 cup cornmeal, 1 cup all-purpose flour, 1 tablespoon baking powder, 1 tablespoon sugar, and 1 teaspoon salt. In another bowl, beat 2 eggs with 1 1/4 cups buttermilk and 4 tablespoons melted butter. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and stir just until no dry streaks remain. A few lumps are fine. Cornbread batter is not a personality test; do not overwork it.

Now comes the part people skip, usually because they are hungry. Carefully take out the hot skillet and add 2 tablespoons butter. Swirl it around until the bottom is coated, then pour in the batter. It should hiss at the edges. That sound is dinner getting good.

If you skip preheating the skillet, the cornbread will still bake, but the bottom and sides will be pale, soft, and oddly greasy. You’ll get cake with a corn accent instead of cornbread with a crisp, savory personality. If you skip melting butter in the skillet, you lose the lacy browned edge—the best bite, in my opinion, and I will absolutely notice if you serve me the middle piece.

Bake for 18 to 22 minutes, until the top is golden and a toothpick comes out with a few moist crumbs. The center should look set but not dry. Let it cool for 10 minutes before slicing. It will smell buttery and toasted, with the warm, slightly sweet scent of cornmeal, and the crust should crackle faintly under the knife.

Serve it with chili, beans, greens, or a fried egg. Leftovers are excellent split, buttered, and toasted in the skillet the next morning. Store-bought cornbread can be perfectly respectable, but this one has an actual crust—and frankly, that is the whole point.